Just after Thanksgiving, City College student Aaron Raines was killed in what is believed to be a murder suicide. Raines and 26-year-old Anthony DiLorenzo, a resident of Virginia, were found dead inside a Washington Heights apartment on November 29 at 11:20 PM, according to PIX11. Labeling it domestic violence, police think DiLorenzo shot Raines in the head before turning the gun on himself. Witnesses say that Raines, 22, and a senior at CCNY, had her hands tied behind her back when she was found.The CCNY community has been rocked by this tragedy. Raines's Facebook page is filled with remembrances from City College students and faculty."This has been a difficult week, as news surfaced Wednesday that a student of mine was senselessly murdered," wrote English professor William Lung, who calls Raines a prodigiously talented writer. "When I broke the news to my class Wednesday, we were all in shock and grief. A kind, vibrant, and strong young woman, she worked incredibly hard to get where she was, and more importantly, to get where she was going. Undoubtedly, that would have been very far."Raines, who transferred to City College in 2015 to study creative writing, self-published her first book, "Teenage Love Affair," at age 15. On an obituary page, her family recalled that as a child she hoped to be the next "Oprah." After a trip to Africa, she started a foundation -- Think Pink -- to help educate and encourage young women and hope to return to Africa over the summer.
Classmates recall not only Raines's ambition, but also her kindness. Says Saif Choudury, a CCNY senior: "You will not only be missed - you will forever be loved, held dear, and cherished. Rest in peace you beautiful soul."
A GoFundme page to help her parents defer funeral costs has already raised more than $10,000. To contribute, click here.